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BASEBALL SPORTS OF ALL SORTS BOXING
WHITE SOX LEAVE COTTON
BELT FIT TO OPEN SEASON
By Mark Shields
Eight exhibition games in as many
cities remain on the White Sox
schedule before they pry open the
American league season in St. Louis,
April 11. After today's combat
against a college team in Norman,
Okla the class of opposition will im
prove and Rowland will give his
pitchers two full games each to put
them in shape for the first tussles of
the campaign.
No Sox team in years has been bet
ter conditioned at this period than
are the 1917 White Sox. Every reg
ular is physically strong, and batting
eyes are sharp, as averages against
curve-ball pitching of Texas flingere
prove. The fielding is smooth, and
Risberg, Collins and Gandil have
rapidly shaken Into a near perfection
of teamplay.
Right field is still disputed ground,
with Nemo Liebold and Brick Eldred
putting up a merry battle for the reg
ular assignment Eldred has a slight
charley horse, which has given Lie
bold a chance, "and the midget has
seized on it with avidity. His hit
ting has been an important feature
, of the Sox work and a number of his
safeties have been for extra bases.
On paper Manager Rowland will
start the season with a team that
should fight on even terms with any
outfit it the Johnsonian circuit. He
has batting, fielding and pitching.
The only liability is baserunning, a
failing which was costly to Sox hopes
last season. The men must curb a
tendency to run the paths wild and
with their heads in the dust There
are some brains in operation on the
club and the wise heads should have
a steadying effect on the fellows giv
en to running amuck.
Risberg is certain of the berth at J
short, at least at the start of the sea
son. The Califbrnian's fielding is
tight and sensational and his batting
is much stronger than that of Terry.
If the Swede can hit the ball for
something around .220 and do his
fielding efficiently, nothing more will i
be desired. v
In practice he has indicated an av
erage against real pitching of near
er .250, which boosts the stock of the
club. Eddie Collins is better satis
fled with his surroundings than he
was in 1916, and the result is at once
apparent in his playing. Eddie never
was a fellow to loaf on the job, but
it stands to reason that a player does
better when conditions are to his lik
ing. Faber and Cicotte havehown ex
cellent form in the box, and Scott
looks to be the comeback of the year.
The southpaws, Russell and Wil
liams, are not as far advanced as the
fellows who throw correctly, but
they will be able to take a whirl at
the best by April 11. Russell has a
kinky arm which is yielding to
treatment, and Williams needs plen
ty of work.
In reserve strength the locals are
better fortified than any team in the
league, with Terry, McMullen and 4
Jourdan for infield duty, Lynn to act
as Schalk's first relief, Eddie Murphy
ready to step Into an outfield job,
and Jack Founder on hand to pinch
hit at the psychological moment
As the Cubs draw nearer to big
league confines their game improves
and there is still a chance for Man
ager Mitchell to start the esason with
a fair fighting front. Today the club
plays Wichita, and good diamonds A
will be found from now until opening "
day. Good diamonds mean Larry
Doyle will have an opportunity to
play.
Doyle is the major "if of the club.
If he is able to use his wounded an
kle the Cubs will start well. Remove
Doyle and anything can happen, and
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